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Superman
Clark Kent (born Kal-El), known to the public as Superman, is the greatest superhero in the DC Universe. Created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, Superman is often considered the archetypal comic book superhero, with his debut often seen as the start of the Golden Age of Comic Books. He serves as an important character in the mythology of Watchmen, and is the main protagonist of Doomsday Clock. History Watchmen In the Watchmen World, Superman and his cohorts in the DC Universe are fictional characters, debuting in 1938 in Action Comics. Superman is cited by Hollis Mason as his chief inspiration for becoming a costumed adventurer, having read the first issue of Action Comics. Although these early superhero comics first saw enormous success, Mason comments in Under the Hood, "Of course all these old characters are gone and forgotten now, but I'm willing to bet there are at least a few older readers out there who will remember enough to know what I am talking about." Rebirth At some point after he departed Earth, Dr. Manhattan breached the actual DC Universe, and began experimenting with time. The results were devastating to the inhabitants of the DC Universe, with ten years of history being erased, and younger, inexperienced heroes trying to protect an increasingly bleak and cynical world. Superman himself was severely affected, losing his family and much of his character to Doctor Manhattan's tampering, effectively shearing his essence in half. One half continued as an ineffectual younger version of himself, while the other half was lost in time until being unexpectedly and unintentionally rescued by his enemy Brainiac. Thanks to the arrival of Wally West, the original Kid Flash, and the manipulations of the mysterious Mr. Oz, himself a victim of Doctor Manhattan, Superman was restored and made whole again as the universe began to heal itself. When Oz was revealed as a time displaced Jor-El, his biological father, Superman was made aware of Dr. Manhattan's existence. After his father was retrieved by Dr. Manhattan, Superman set out to find and stop the mysterious entity which had been tormenting him and his friends, culminating in the events of Doomsday Clock. Doomsday Clock Upon arriving in the DC Universe, Doctor Manhattan discovered an impenetrable nothingness in the immediate future, impossible for his precognition to see through. The last thing he sees prior to this is Superman, walking towards him enraged and shouting, before throwing a single punch. Doctor Manhattan, both perplexed and deeply disturbed by this, remained in the DC Universe in an attempt to uncover the truth behind this mysterious phenomenon. Superman is asleep in Metropolis when he has a nightmare of the night his parents died in a car crash. Awakening in a panic, he is calmed by his wife, Lois Lane, who says she cannot remember the last time he had a nightmare. He admits that until now, he's never had one. He later observes a press conference held by Pozhar, a Russian superhero and a member of the People, a group of superheroes under the employ of the Russian Government. He announces to the world that Russia has closed its borders, and that any nation who seeks military superiority will be dealt with. His wife goes to interview Lex Luthor, whom they believe is responsible for the Supermen Theory, while Superman listens in from above. Much to their skepticism, he states that he is not the mastermind behind it, but does know who is: the Director of the Department of Metahuman Affairs. When pressed on their identity, Luthor states that he does not know, and that all he truly knows about them is that at some point they were a member of the Justice League, much to the anger of the Man of Steel. Superman is later seen on the news in Libya, where he is hailed as the last true hero in the world in the wake of escalating global tensions caused by the prevalence of the Supermen Theory and its influence on policymakers around the world. Navigation Category:Characters Category:Doomsday Clock characters